Marmion tops Hononegah for its 1st 3A title

By Mike Garofola for the IWCOA

BLOOMINGTON — It was a weekend full of surprises.

The 40th dual-team state tournament would provide a shocking result on the opening day with Hononegah, perhaps overlooked in advance of this final weekend of the season, providing a stunning victory over the reigning state champion to get the proceedings off to a rip-roaring start.

Reigning state champion Mount Carmel would headline the top half of the bracket here in Bloomington at the Grossinger Motors Arena, and with its headline star Seth Mendoza at the forefront, it looked as though the Caravan would find its way into the state final come Saturday night.

It appeared the stars were aligned for the Caravan who earlier in the week would avenge a mid-January loss to No. 1 Marist (43-26) with a 35-34 victory in its dual-team sectional at Yorkville.

Hononegah stood in the way of the Caravan, along with No. 4 Joliet Catholic Academy, and Oak Park-River Forest, which was making its 13th trip to the dual team finals.

On the bottom half of this bracket stood No. 3 Marmion Academy, still in search of its first-ever state title, plus No. 10 Edwardsville, MSL champion Hersey and its league rival Schaumburg, here on its maiden voyage.

Quality teams for sure, and an incredible array of individual talent for an appreciative audience to admire.

This eight-team field delivered five state champions, 26 state medal winners, and 58 overall state qualifiers from the individual state tournament in Champaign.

Here’s a closer look at both days of of the dual team state tournament:

Day One action:

Long before the Mount Carmel-Hononegah quarterfinal drew to a close, Marmion Academy rolled past Schaumburg, 63-10 to advance into the Saturday morning semifinal.

“We knew what our chances were once we beat Lane on Tuesday to make it down here for the first time,” Schaumburg coach Mike Levanti said. “Marmion Academy is a great program, and one that we have a lot of respect for.” 

Schaumburg (22-5) won its third consecutive regional title to reach a dual-team sectional in its home gym.

“We had a monumental task ahead of us today,” Levanti said. “But I’d rather that we have it (downstate) after we achieved something our program, prior to this year, had never done.”

Levanti and his staff will stay goodbye to six seniors, five of which were starters, including the four-time state medal winner Brady Phelps, and four-year star Callen Kirchner, who earned his first state medal in three tries in Champaign.

“This is a great way to end our high school career, and it’s something that I will remember forever,” said Phelps, second to Dom Munaretto (St. Charles East) at 120 pounds.

AJ Quevedo, Justin Cortes-Apolinar, Tommy Baisler and Sean Christoffel will graduate this May also after claiming over 80 combined victories on the season.

“This is the best group that I’ve had during my time as head coach, what they did was special, and it’s something they should all be proud of,” said Levanti.

The spotlight dual of the day in the top half of the bracket featured Mount Carmel vs. Hononegah; the tournament favorites against the No. 12 Indians, who dealt with injuries all season long, but came together in the nick of time.

“This is a family we have at Hononegah, a real close family that wrestles for each other, our coaches, program, and then ourselves,” said Hononegah’s Rocco Cassioppi, who last weekend won a state title at 132 pounds.

Hononegah would state its intent from the very start when a tech-fall from Thomas Silva at 138, followed by a pin from Bruno Cassioppi, gave the NIC-10 champs an early 11-0 lead.

Mount Carmel’s Seth Mendoza, who was coming off a fourth state championship, showed his awesome talent and versatility by bumping all the way up from 138 to 150, where he recorded a tech-fall.

Hononegah sophomore Brody Sendele, out for close to six weeks with a knee injury that will require surgery at season’s end, gave the Indians an all-important bonus-point victory with a tech fall to increase the Indians advantage to 16-10.

The dual then went back-and-forth until the very last match.

State champion Liam Kelly (175) and Sergio Calleros (190) pushed Mount Carmel ahead 18-16 with their eight points earned.

Hononegah senior Kurt Smith countered with a 13-4 major, answered quickly by a forfeit given to Mount Carmel heavyweight Landin Carter.

Freshman Sebastian Gracia gave Mount Carmel its final lead of the day at 28-20 with a 12-2 major decision win.

It would then be the heroics of Hononegah’s Isaiah Martinez (113), Jackson Olson (120) and Rocco Cassioppi (126) coming through in sensational fashion.

Martinez was the key to the Indians 14-0 late run, holding onto a 6-5 advantage for the final 70 seconds of his match with Mount Carmel’s William Grafton-Hodgetts.

The one-point decision drew the Indians within five (28-23) with an Olson pin at 42 seconds putting his club ahead for good (29-28) and the Hononegah fans tasting success.

“There was never a doubt in my mind we could come in here and give Mount Carmel a strong enough effort to put ourselves in position to win,” Hononegah coach Tyler DeMoss said. “It was as close as I figured it would be. But that win from Martinez was so big, and with Olson and then Rocco up next, we knew this dual would be ours.”

Cassioppi put on the finishing touches for the underdogs with a tech-fall, making the major decision victory from Mount Carmel’s Justin Williamson meaningless in a 34-32 final.

“There were so many big wins from the guys, many with bonus points attached to them. It was a great win for the guys and our program against a great team,” said DeMoss.

DeMoss’ club would face Joliet Catholic Academy in the semifinals after the Hilltoppers held off a valiant Oak Park-River Forest club, 38-29. OPRF reached Bloomington by surprising St. Charles East it the sectional dual to earn his spot here in the final eight.

OPRF (15-4-0) stars Zev Koransky (138) and Joseph Knackstedt (144) gave the Huskies its first lead of the day (7-0) and would hold it until the Hilltoppers went ahead at (18-13) on a fall from Isaac Clauson at 175.

Three-time state medal winner Nico Ronchetti would add to Hilltoppers lead (23-13) with a tech-fall at 190.

It was at this point the Huskies would give the Hilltoppers faithful plenty of nervous moments when they reeled off three consecutive victories.

Eric Harris who won a hard fought match to help the Huskies defeat St. Charles East – was at it again when he registered a major decision at 215, before his teammate Terrence Garner (285) followed with 4-2 win to draw the Huskies closer (23-20) until 106-pound state champion MJ Rundell gave his side its last lead (26-23) of the evening with his 24th pin of the season.

“The guys showed a lot of heart throughout this match. A couple of decisions or bonus points either way, and maybe the result is in our favor,” said OPRF head coach Paul Collins.

Joliet Catholic’s Lukas Foster pinned his rival at 113, and OPRF’s Jamiel Castleberry (120) answered with a 7-1 victory to draw the Huskies level at 29-29.

That’s when Matthew Laird put the Hilltoppers ahead for good (33-29) with an 8-0 major decision. That win gave way to a tech-fall win from Mount Carmel’s three-time state medalist Jason Hampton, ending the dream for Collins’ club and giving the Caravan a 38-29 win.

“It was a great team win for us tonight, we had to work hard against a very good opponent to guarantee ourselves a team state trophy,” said Hampton.

“I could not be more proud of this team,” began Paul Collins. “Our seniors really led the way for us. They were tough, mentally and physically, and showed the younger guys what it takes to get to the state tournament.

“We have a lot of guys returning next year, so to get down here this season, and to have those younger guys be in this environment – that will go a long way towards the team earning another trip here and coming away with a better result. After enjoying a great run for 5-6 years, we’ve had several lean years, but this group has helped bring our program back.”

Collins led back-to-back state championships in 2015 and 2016, and twice earned second-place honors in 2018 and 2019.

In the fourth 3A quarterfinal dual, Hersey would secure its first state trophy since the very first years of the existence of the school, with a hard fought, well-deserved 40-27 victory over Edwardsville.

The Huskies’ program would enjoy extraordinary success when it won back-to-back state titles in 1971 and 1972 under head coach Tom Porter on the strength of individual titles from Jim Battaglia and Brad Smith, plus a quartet of top four state placers.

Both sides in the quarterfinal would take turns dominating the proceedings. The Huskies went out to a 17-5 advantage only to see Edwardsville (16-4-0) roar back to score the next 22 points in building a 27-17 lead.

But from that point it was all Hersey, which scored the last 23 points to earn a historic victory for the program.

“This has been a real hard-working, gritty team all season long, so I wasn’t surprised that we stayed under control when (Edwardsville) went on their run,” Hersey senior Riddick Variano said. “We finished strong to get this huge victory.” 

Variano closed out the Tigers with a pin at 126 in advance of a tech-fall win by teammate Elijah Garza in the final bout of the dual.

Garza earned a fourth-place state medal in Champaign, joining senior Max Mukhamedaliyev, now a three-time state placer after his fifth-place finish in Champaign.

“It was a real emotional win for me,” said a proud Huskies head coach, Joe Rupslauk.

“When I look back to where this program was when I came here five or six years ago, and see where it’s at right now, it proves that all of the hard work, dedication, offseason training, and the total commitment from the guys paid off.”

Edwardsville saw a marvelous season end abruptly, after Eric Pretto’s’ men defeated Lincoln-Way East in a dual-team sectional Tuesday to earn the program’s fifth trip to Bloomington, and first since 2019.

Pretto will say goodbye to just six from this year’s roster, while returning eight from his starting 14, including all four of his state qualifiers in Michael McNamara, Ryan Ritchie, Simon Schulte and Roman Janek.

Schulte (190, 34-14) finished sixth at state at 190.

Day Two action:

Marmion Academy would continue on its winning ways after a comfortable 55-15 win over Hersey to advance into the final, while Hononegah once again found itself in another fierce battle with its quality opponent from Joliet Catholic Academy.

The Hononegah-Joliet Catholic Academy semifinal was what one would expect, with each side playing to its strengths. In the end, it would be a key pin from Hononegah’s Kristian DeClerq that would level this contest at at 20-20, setting up a big finish from the Indians’ hammers.

Before that occurred, it took gritty performances from Max Haskins (157), Connor Diemel (190) and Ethan Ballard (285) to stay away from bonus points defeats — always a major key in dual-team competition.

Also key to the eventual Hononegah victory was a 13-3 major decision from Jackson Olson (120) to cancel a major from Lukas Foster (13-1) at 113.

Rocco Cassioppi delivered a pin at 1:14 to give Hononegah a 30-24 advantage that Joliet Catholic’s Jason Hampton could only draw even via a win by fall.

The junior would tech fall his opponent to make it 30-29, followed by a pin from Hononegah’s Thomas Silva (45-4) to end things at 36-29 and send the four-time state medalist and his teammate into its first ever dual-team state final.

“We had a lot of guys come through in a big way, even if it wasn’t with a win,” Silva said. “They were still able to stay away from getting pinned, teched, or majored, and that pin from (Kristian) DeClercq, in my opinion was the biggest of all wins for us. 

“Throughout this year we dealt with injuries. (Brody) Sendele and Bruno (Cassioppi) were out for a long time. But we picked each other up and wrestled hard, which is something we did against Mt. Carmel and today with Joliet.”

The stage was now set for a Marmion Academy-Hononegah final, with Hersey and Joliet Catholic Academy vying for third-place honors.

Once there, and after a raucous crowd settled in to watch three finals across all three classes, Marmion Academy broke out on top with a tech-fall from Zach Stewart at 150, and a pin by Ashton Hobson to the delight of the Cadets’ faithful.

It was then that Hononegah’s upper weights would flex their collective muscle, with a pair of majors from Max Haskins and Brody Sendele, and then a tech fall from Connor Diemel at 190 to give Hononegah a 13-11 lead.

The Kurt Smith-Joe Favia 215-pound contest, expected to be a furious match – ended quicker than expected when a throw from Marmion’s Favia was deemed to be a slam.

After a long discussion between the two officials, Smith was given a six-point DQ victory.

“That was a big moment in this match, but we all stayed composed and under control, because there still was a lot of wrestling remaining,” Marmion’s Zach Stewart said.

Stewart’s words rang true. Teammates Mateusz Nycz (285), Colton Wyller (106) and Preston Morrison (113) posted three consecutive pins to lift Marmion to a 29-19 advantage.

“Wyller had a great year,” Marmion coach Anthony Cirrincione said. “He qualified for state at 120 while weighing just under 110 pounds. And Preston went from a jayvee wrestler a year ago to finishing third at state last weekend at 106.

“(Nycz) has had an incredible year at heavyweight, just an anchor to the end of our lineup, while becoming one of the most dependable and consistent guys I have ever coached.”

Nycz (49-6) will play football in the fall at Dartmouth.

“We never looked past any opponent this year,” Nycz said. “Especially down here, it was one team at a time and nothing else,” said Nycz.

After the Marmion trio forced Hononegah to chase a 10-point lead, Hononegah’s Jackson Olson closed the gap to 29-25 with a pin at 120 pounds. 

But Marmion state champ Nicholas Garcia (126) recorded a pin, and Demetrios Carrera earned a hard-fought 6-3 decision over Rocco Cassioppi (132) to start the celebration for Marmion’s fans.

Marmion’s Grayson Gracia won by a pin at 138, before Hononegah’s Thomas Silva ended the night with a forfeit to bring the final total to 42-31.

“I’ve been very fortunate to come to Marmion after two great years at South Elgin,” said Carrera, who placed third at 132 in Champaign. “My coaches and teammates there were all fantastic.

“Our room at Marmion is filled with some tremendous guys, who train like nothing I’ve ever seen, our coaching staff is so competitive, and the support from everyone involved in wrestling and in the school has been amazing.”

Stewart believed in this year’s squad at Marmion from the season’s start.

“Both Nick (Garcia) and I felt strongly at the start of the year that if we stayed healthy, we could make our way into the final and win it all,” Stewart said.

“The emotions involved with finally winning a state title is something that I can’t describe,” Garcia said. “There really are no words to say right now.”

Marmion’s skipper loved what he got from his side in the finals.

“Every guy did their job against Hononegah. It’s what makes wrestling so special, and the ultimate team sport, because you’re doing it for your teammates,” said Cirrincione.

“We are losing three terrific seniors in Andrew Harritos, Anthony Haddad and (Mateusz) Nycz, but we return a lot of firepower and I know those kids will all get better between now and then.”

Hononegah will take a bigger graduation hit than the Cadets (21-2-0). Starters Thomas Silva, Maxx Aranki, Max Haskins, Connor Diemel, Kurt Smith and Ethan Ballard are leaving behind close to 250 victories combined.

“We had an amazing weekend, and to get three wins in a row against tremendous opponents was something we felt we could do when we got down here,” DeMoss said. “But Marmion is a great team and credit to them for winning the state title.

“This team dealt with injuries but never let it affect the way we trained and competed. When it all came together in the final weekend of the season, we were able to show just how good of a team we were.”

Of the four losses on the season for Hononegah (27-4) three came against out-of-state opponents at The Clash in Wisconsin.

Not to be forgotten was the result from the third-place match. Joliet Catholic won 46-22 over Hersey to give the Hilltoppers their second state trophy in three seasons.

The Hilltoppers were 2A state runners-up in 2023, and were eliminated last year when they lost to eventual state champion Mount Carmel 33-26 in a state quarterfinal dual.

“It’s been an incredible four-year run for me,” Joliet Catholic’s Nico Ronchetti said. “It’s something that I will never forget, and something that I appreciate.

“We’ve lost a lot of great wrestlers and teammates since our second place finish down here three years ago, but our program has always remained together and very strong. Much of that is due to an amazing coaching staff, and their commitment to all of us.”

With over 130 career victories, Ronchetti moves on with five other seniors. Joliet Catholic started the season at 3-7 before turning things around with victories over Carl Sandburg, Yorkville, Lincoln-Way West, and 1A state champ Coal City.

Joliet Catholic won 43-27 in its dual-team sectional over Yorkville to advance downstate.

Hersey head coach Joe Rupslauk praised Hilltoppers head coach Ryan Cumbee for his sportsmanship during their dual, and then quickly turn his attention one last time to his club.

“Ryan is a first class guy all the way around,” began Rupslauk. “We obviously were getting beat pretty badly with just a few matches to go, so I went to Ryan and said I was hoping to get my two seniors Elijah (Garza) and (Max) Munkhamedaliyev a chance to wrestle one more time. He agreed right away, and it’s something that I’ll always appreciate.”

Garza and Munkhamedaliyev both went out victorious, with Munkhamedaliyev falling just short of 50 wins on the season and 170 victories in his career.

“It’s been a great four-year career at Hersey and with Rup. He’s been an amazing coach, person and leader of a program that has accomplished so much since he took over,” said Munkhamedaliyev, who will wrestle in the fall at the University of Chicago.